TN 2 (09-85)

GN 01704.400 Benefit Earnings Technician Processing- Background

A. General

The countries with which the United States has Social Security agreements are listed below with the effective date of the agreement:

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    Italy - November 1, 1978

    Germany - December 1, 1979

    Switzerland - November 1, 1980

    Norway - July 1, 1984

    Belgium -July 1, 1984

    Canada - August 1, 1984

    United Kingdom-January 1, 1985 (Benefit provisions - January 1, 1988)

    Sweden-January 1, 1987

    Spain-April 1, 1988

    France-July 1, 1988

    Netherlands-November 1, 1990

    Austria-November 1, 1991

    Finland-November 1, 1992

    Ireland-September 1, 1993

    Luxembourg-November 1, 1993

    Greece-September 1, 1994

    South Korea-April 1, 2001

    Chile-December 1, 2001

    Australia-October 1, 2002

    Japan-October 1, 2005

    Denmark-October 1, 2008

    Czech Republic-January 1, 2009

    Poland-March 1, 2009

    Slovak Republic-May 1, 2014

    Hungary-September 1, 2016

These agreements enable people who have worked under the Social Security systems of the United States and one of the listed countries to receive either combined “totalization” benefits or regular benefits from the United States and either combined “totalization” benefits or regular benefits from the other country.

B. Italian Agreement

Italian totalization claims can be filed with the United States in a district office (DO) or Foreign Service post (FSP) or with Italy at any office of the Instituto Nazionale di Previdenza Sociale (INPS).

C. German Agreement

German totalization claims can be filed with the United States in a DO or FSP or with Germany at the various agencies of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG).

D. Swiss Agreement

Swiss totalization claims can be filed with the United States at a DO or FSP or with Switzerland at any of the approximately 130 separate agencies (“funds” in Swiss terminology) which administer the social insurance system in Switzerland or at any of the Swiss diplomatic posts in the United States or the main office of the Caisse Suisse de Compensation (CSC) in Geneva.

E. Norwegian Agreement

Norwegian totalization claims can be filed with the United States at a DO or an FSP or with Norway at any of the 451 offices of the National Insurance Institute or at any of the Norwegian diplomatic posts in the United States.

F. Belgian Agreement

Belgian totalization claims can be filed with the United States at a DO or with the International Benefits Office (IBO) of DIO - there is no trained claims-taking post in Belgium; or with Belgium at any of many private, semi-private or government offices in Belgium or at any of the Belgian diplomatic posts in the United States.

G. Canadian Agreement/Quebec Understanding

Canadian totalization claims can be filed with the United States at a DO, a claims-taking FSP or with IBO of DIO (if the applicant is residing in a country serviced by IBO) or with Canada at any of the more than 100 local offices of the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) or nine local offices of the Quebec Pension Plan (QPP). However, DIO should receive material only from the Canadian offices.

NOTE: When the terms Canada or Canadian are used in this subchapter, the information applies equally to all of Canada including Quebec. When it is necessary to identify information which is applicable only to Quebec, the term Quebec is used. When it is necessary to identify information which is applicable to Canada except Quebec, the term Ottawa is used.


To Link to this section - Use this URL:
http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0201704400
GN 01704.400 - Benefit Earnings Technician Processing- Background - 02/06/2017
Batch run: 02/06/2017
Rev:02/06/2017